Peanut agglutinin facts for kids
Peanut agglutinin ('PNA) is a special type of protein found in peanuts. It's also known as Arachis hypogaea lectin. This protein is a kind of lectin, which means it can recognize and stick to specific sugar patterns. Think of it like a lock and key, where PNA is the lock and a particular sugar pattern is the key.
Peanut agglutinin is famous for its ability to make cells stick together, a process called "agglutination." This is how it got its name! For example, it can make red blood cells clump if those cells have the right sugar patterns on their surface.
What is Peanut Agglutinin?
Peanut agglutinin is a lectin protein that comes from the fruits of the peanut plant. Lectins are like tiny "sugar-detectives" in nature. They can find and attach to specific sugar chains found on the surface of cells or other molecules. PNA is very good at finding a sugar pattern called Gal-β(1-3)-GalNAc.
How Peanut Agglutinin is Built
Quick facts for kids Legume lectin domain |
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Structure of the monosaccharide binding site of lentil lectin.
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| Identifiers | |||||||||
| Symbol | Lectin_legB | ||||||||
| Pfam | PF00139 | ||||||||
| Pfam clan | CL0004 | ||||||||
| InterPro | IPR001220 | ||||||||
| PROSITE | PDOC00278 | ||||||||
| SCOP2 | 1lem / SCOPe / SUPFAM | ||||||||
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This protein is made up of 273 tiny building blocks called amino acids. The first 23 of these amino acids act like a special "address label" that helps the protein get to the right place. Once it's there, this label is removed.
Scientists have studied peanut agglutinin a lot. They know it has a special shape made of flat sheets, and four of these protein units usually join together to form a larger structure. You can find many detailed pictures of its structure in a big database called the PDB.
How Peanut Agglutinin is Used
Because peanut agglutinin is so good at finding and sticking to specific sugar patterns, scientists use it in many ways. It's a helpful tool in cell biology and biochemistry.
Here are some ways PNA is used:
- Finding Special Molecules: Scientists can use PNA to pick out molecules that have the Gal-β(1-3)-GalNAc sugar pattern. This is like using a special magnet to pull out only the items you want from a mix.
- Studying Immune Cells: PNA can help tell apart different types of human lymphocytes. These are important cells in our body's immune system.
- Looking at Eye Cells: It helps identify parts of cone cells and rod cells in the eye. These cells help us see light and color.
- Identifying Parasites: PNA can help scientists find specific forms of Leishmania major parasites. These parasites can cause diseases and are carried by sandflies.
It's interesting to note that other sugars like lactose and galactose can stop peanut agglutinin from sticking. They do this by getting in the way and taking up the spot where PNA would normally bind.
